The Vanderbilt Hustlerhttps://vanderbilthustler.com
The official student newspaper of Vanderbilt University
Thu, 21 Mar 2019 15:19:36 -0500 en-US
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1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.1.1Students march petitions to Chancellor’s office in support of Dr. Bethann McLaughlinhttps://vanderbilthustler.com/22688/featured/students-march-petitions-to-chancellors-office-in-support-of-dr-bethann-mclaughlin/
https://vanderbilthustler.com/22688/featured/students-march-petitions-to-chancellors-office-in-support-of-dr-bethann-mclaughlin/#respondThu, 21 Mar 2019 13:13:03 +0000https://vanderbilthustler.com/?p=22688A group of 20 students gathered at the Rand Wall Tuesday afternoon to pressure the university to reconsider Vanderbilt School of Medicine professor Bethann McLaughlin’s tenure status. The students carried simple printed signs and a print out of a change.org petition with over 11,000 signatures urging the university to reconsider the decision to reverse the tenure decision.

The group of students then marched to Kirkland Hall, chanting and waving their signs. Inside Kirkland, they were greeted by Vanderbilt administrators Cynthia Cyrus and Melissa Thomas-Hunt, who accepted their stack of petitions.

The march to Kirkland was organized by senior Dominique Szymkiewicz, who has been a student of Dr. McLaughlin’s for four years. She said she has confidence that the university will respond to the petitions.

“As a woman, I have a lot of passion for what she’s standing up for and what she’s been talking about and it’s definitely something that needs to change,” Szymkiewicz said.

McLaughlin, who founded the #MeTooSTEM movement, has been facing an ongoing tenure battle with the university since she first applied in 2015, only to have her process stopped as she was involved in various Title IX investigations. She was approved for tenure by the tenure board in 2017, but her full appointment was frozen during another investigation, after which Jeffrey Balser, Dean of the medical school, asked the tenure board to reconsider. At that time, the board chose to reverse the approval and deny McLaughlin’s tenure.

Students gather outside of Kirkland Hall, before delivering petitions in support of Dr. Bethann McLaughlin to administration

After the reversal, McLaughlin took her case to a faculty grievance committee, believing the reversal of her tenure decision was a retaliatory act by the university for her role as a witness in a Title IX investigation involving a colleague and her social media activity. In a Feb. 12 report, the committee decided to uphold the decision to deny tenure. However, there is still a chance that McLaughlin could have the decision reversed, if Chancellor Nicholas Zeppos chooses to step in.

This demonstration was the second time students brought their concerns with McLaughlin’s tenure status to the Chancellor’s office. In late February, a group of students staged a sit-in in Kirkland for nearly two hours. During both events, the university administrators present said that while they could not comment on McLaughlin specifically, they were proud of the student efforts to organize. In Monday’s conversations with the protestors, administration cited the work they had done and are continuing to do with the National Academy of the Sciences in bringing conversations about sexual harassment to faculty campus. They also mentioned the Provost’s Steering Committee for Initiatives Focusing on the Status of Women and their ongoing conversations with Vanderbilt Student Government around campus climate towards harassment and misconduct.

Zeppos was not present at either event. Cyrus said that the Chancellor was made aware of the first sit-in and the aims of the students, and that he would again be made aware of the petitions delivered by the students.

]]>https://vanderbilthustler.com/22688/featured/students-march-petitions-to-chancellors-office-in-support-of-dr-bethann-mclaughlin/feed/0Student tour guides protest on Alumni Lawn and march to Kirkland Hall, calling for compensationhttps://vanderbilthustler.com/22718/featured/student-tour-guides-protest-on-alumni-lawn-and-march-to-kirkland-hall-calling-for-compensation/
https://vanderbilthustler.com/22718/featured/student-tour-guides-protest-on-alumni-lawn-and-march-to-kirkland-hall-calling-for-compensation/#respondThu, 21 Mar 2019 04:56:15 +0000https://vanderbilthustler.com/?p=22718“Lack of compensation is basic exploitation,” “what’s our worth?” and “OUA, we want pay” were among the chants that could be heard reverberating across Main Campus on the morning of Mar. 20 as tour guides took to Alumni Lawn to demonstrate in advocacy of compensation for their work.

Outside the Office of Undergraduate Admissions (OUA), student tour guides, who comprise the organization, “AmbassaDores,” vocalized their frustration with regard to their lack of pay, as well as what they say is the administration’s apathetic response to their demands.

“Initially, the executive board had been working with our admissions advisors to plan a town hall, during which tour guides would be able to speak their minds and express their concerns,” AmbassaDores President Télyse Masaoay said.

However, according to Masaoay, it wasn’t until Director of Admissions John Gaines, as well as Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid Doug Christiansen caught wind of these plans, cancelled the town hall with no option to reschedule and repeatedly dismissed the continued efforts of the executive board to communicate their concerns on behalf of the organization, that they resorted to these escalated measures.

“Although the administration offered to meet with me one-on-one, we felt that this solution was inadequate,” Masaoay said. “The entire point was to have tour guides’ voices heard, and one meeting behind closed doors with no tools for accountability does not equate to a promise for action.”

In response to the lack of sufficient administrative action, the executive board made the decision to publicly assemble as an organization, deliberately staking out their position on Alumni Lawn to ensure that the message would be unambiguously conveyed both to the Admissions Office, as well as passing tour groups, Masaoay said.

(Photo by Madison Lindeman)

Vice Provost for University Enrollment Affairs and Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid Doug Christiansen responded to the demonstration with a statement pledging the administration’s commitment to continued conversation.

“I appreciate our tour guides’ concerns and we are committed to further meetings with the Tour Guide Executive Board to discuss the issues they have outlined in their petition and supporting materials,” Christiansen wrote in an email to Hustler staff. “We are grateful for their passion about Vanderbilt and their service to the university. We look forward to continuing the dialogue.”

Following the concurrent tours’ continuation past Alumni Lawn, the demonstrators reassembled and proceeded marching to Kirkland Hall, to deliver a statement directly to the administration, outlining their demands.

In this thirty minute deliverance, during which members of the organization shared their motivations for demonstrating, Masaoay spoke first, spelling out factors that had initially prompted the conversation.

“We were getting a lot of complaints from our members about not being able to be a tour guide and give great tours, while balancing other financial obligations, such as having a part-time job on campus,” Masaoay said in her statement. “We also received feedback with regard to feelings of disenchantment accumulating throughout students’ years here.”

Additionally, in comparing compensation norms across peer institutions, the executive board found that Vanderbilt is one of only seven institutions that does not pay their guides out of the top 25 universities ranked by U.S. News and World Report.

General body members’ testimonies aligned with the executive board’s decision to protest for pay, with some pointing out the lack of representation amongst tour guides in terms of financial inclusivity

“I had to drop out of the tour guide program because I had to take up other paying jobs as a second semester senior who needs to pay their tuition,” Kencell Nixon said. “What kind of message are we sending to prospective students if tour guides are only people with financial stability?”

First-year Maddie Woods said she chose to partake in the demonstration because she believes in recognizing the essential service tour guides provide in promoting the university to campus visitors.

Students also utilized this opportunity to call out the hypocrisy of the administration, noting that tour guides are expected to act as university representatives, yet are silenced upon voicing their concerns.

Once inside Kirkland, students addressed administration with their grievances and reasoning for protesting. (Photo by Madison Lindeman)

Despite the success of the movement in garnering around 50 attendees, as well as capturing the attention of administrators, some tour guides chose not to partake in the demonstration.

One tour guide, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, explained that although they endorse the push for compensation, they worry about repercussions of this course of action in terms of affecting the relationship between tour guides and administration, as well as potential logistical implications that have yet to be addressed.

“I chose not to attend the protest not because I don’t support the root cause, but because I am hesitant about this approach and have lingering questions about potential implications of these changes, such as compromising the organization’s status as student-run,” they said. “It’s fine to go against the administration, or the Office of Admissions, whomever. But I will not go against those prospective students and their families who make the effort to visit our campus. I take pride in knowing that I contribute to their experience here, and I would definitely continue giving tours, regardless of whether or not I am paid.”

Despite the hesitance expressed by some members of the organization, today’s efforts were nonetheless perceived as successful to general body members and the executive board alike, and Masaoay is optimistic about the future of the organization, particularly given the university’s receptiveness to the demonstration.

“I definitely feel that today was a success,” Masaoay said. “I am hopeful about the future, and more importantly, I am really excited about this opportunity to make the university a better place.”

]]>https://vanderbilthustler.com/22718/featured/student-tour-guides-protest-on-alumni-lawn-and-march-to-kirkland-hall-calling-for-compensation/feed/0Vanderbilt suspends Concert Choir after racist party themehttps://vanderbilthustler.com/22715/featured/vanderbilt-suspends-concert-choir-after-racist-party-theme/
https://vanderbilthustler.com/22715/featured/vanderbilt-suspends-concert-choir-after-racist-party-theme/#respondThu, 21 Mar 2019 04:21:56 +0000https://vanderbilthustler.com/?p=22715On Wednesday, a screenshot for a Vanderbilt Concert choir private party titled “Thugs Thots Mugs n Shots” circulated Vanderbilt, leading to widespread condemnation. Due to the racist nature of the party, the university suspended the organization, according to an email from the Provost Susan Wente and Vice Chancellor James Page. The incident is being investigated by the Title IX and Student Discrimination Office.

“The university was made aware today of a planned campus event – a party to be hosted by a registered student organization – that had a theme and promotional materials that were racist, sexist and blatantly offensive and degrading to African Americans and to women,” the email said.

VUCC deleted the Facebook event page. The description of the event, which was scheduled for March 29, included language referencing mugshots, tattoos, and other explicit references, and the event image was a photograph of a black male.

VUCC has not responded to The Hustler’s request for comment.

The university email also included a list of resources that students affected by the incident could turn to, including the University Counseling Center, the Office of Inclusive Excellence, the Dean of Students, among others. The full text of the university’s email is included below:

Dear Vanderbilt community,

The university was made aware today of a planned campus event – a party to be hosted by a registered student organization – that had a theme and promotional materials that were racist, sexist and blatantly offensive and degrading to African Americans and to women.

This type of activity violates our expectations for respectful engagement by our registered student organizations, and is inconsistent with Vanderbilt’s values of fostering a campus community that is equitable, diverse, inclusive, safe and welcoming to all.

As such, Vanderbilt has suspended the organization as a registered student organization pending an investigation by the university’s Title IX and Student Discrimination Office.

We recognize that many on our campus and in our community are understandably upset by this incident, as are we. This type of behavior is reprehensible and we continue to actively investigate this matter.

We encourage you to seek help through the campus resources below should you need support.

]]>https://vanderbilthustler.com/22715/featured/vanderbilt-suspends-concert-choir-after-racist-party-theme/feed/0Five things you need to know about the new season of ‘Queer Eye’https://vanderbilthustler.com/22705/featured/five-things-you-need-to-know-about-the-new-season-of-queer-eye/
https://vanderbilthustler.com/22705/featured/five-things-you-need-to-know-about-the-new-season-of-queer-eye/#respondWed, 20 Mar 2019 22:19:52 +0000https://vanderbilthustler.com/?p=22705Netflix released Season 3 of the hit show Queer Eye on March 15, and the Fab Five have returned once again for more feel-good life makeovers. Here are five things you need to know about the new season. (Minor spoilers ahead for all seasons.)

They have a DOG (!!!)

If you thought Queer Eye couldn’t possibly get any better, prepare to have your expectations shattered. The newest edition to the cast is French bulldog Bruley. Bruley is heavily featured in scenes at the Fab Five’s lounge and belongs to the Queer Eye producer, Michelle Silva. In the post-episode snippet after episode one, “From Hunter to Huntee,” Antoni Porowski introduces Bruley en français, which is sure to warm even the coldest of hearts. Bruley is truly the staple of Queer Eye, absolutely stealing every scene and radiating good boy energy. You can also follow him on Instagram @bruley.

They filmed in Kansas City, Missouri

While Seasons 1 and 2 were filmed in Atlanta and the surrounding area, the boys have relocated for Season 3. This means a new Fab Five lounge, a new city to navigate and a new culture to explore. This also means they film at unique locations, most notably a campground in the episode “Lost Boy.” Season three also teaches us that designer Bobby Berk is not only exceptionally gifted at redoing traditional homes, but he possesses the impressive ability to revamp BBQ restaurants and campsite homes alike. However, even though the geographic location is different, the emotional impact of seeing a nominee’s life wholly changed by the Fab Five remains unaltered.

In some respects, the new season is more raw

We see the cast opening up on an unprecedented level. Of course, those who have seen seasons one and two will remember such tear-inducing moments as Antoni’s statement that not all parents are accepting of their non-heterosexual children and Bobby’s discussion of his past relationship with the church. This season builds on these previous moments, violently tugging on viewers’ heartstrings. We see Antoni touching on his battle with addiction and Bobby continuing to discuss his past relationship with the church. Given the prior context of the first two seasons, such moments of utter humanity have a strikingly profound effect on viewers. This utmost candor also reminds nominees and viewers alike that everyone has their own issues in life and that the ability to admit and confront such personal issues ultimately leads to a stronger self.

Once you start, you won’t want to stop

Let’s just say you may want to block off a significant portion of your day before you decide to delve into the new season. From the quirky moments, like Tan’s monosyllabic pronunciation of “squirrel,” to the more heartfelt, like when the Fab Five help a recent widower find closure and move on while honoring his wife’s memory in “Elrod & Sons,” Season 3 is a holistic offering, as each episode complements the others in a unique way, and the end of one episode prompts a yearning for more.

Things really just keep getting better

The feel-good vibes are omnipresent. With Karamo’s empathy, Tan’s eye for fashion, Jonathan’s next-level hairstyling skills, Bobby’s utterly astonishing ability to redecorate home interiors and Antoni’s cooking prowess, they truly do change lives. Their conversations with nominees concerning each other’s social, political and cultural points of view demonstrate a multi-dimensional nature that most other shows, regardless of genre, seem to lack. Of course, there are also countless hilarious moments; the Fab Five has an undeniable chemistry and approachability, leading viewers to feel they know the cast personally. Queer Eye proves once again that it has it all, and, as the theme song proclaims, things just keep getting better.

]]>https://vanderbilthustler.com/22705/featured/five-things-you-need-to-know-about-the-new-season-of-queer-eye/feed/0From the Capitol to Campus: How the Department of Education ruined our generation’s financeshttps://vanderbilthustler.com/22702/featured/from-the-capitol-to-campus-how-the-department-of-education-ruined-our-generations-finances/
https://vanderbilthustler.com/22702/featured/from-the-capitol-to-campus-how-the-department-of-education-ruined-our-generations-finances/#respondWed, 20 Mar 2019 20:05:14 +0000https://vanderbilthustler.com/?p=22702The student debt crisis has ballooned into one of the biggest financial problems facing American society, and perhaps no one says it better than Hasan Minaj in a February 2019 episode of Patriot Act: “Student loans were supposed to be a way to invest in our citizens, reward public service, and flex on the Russians. But now, they’ve become a minefield of misinformation where debt can follow you for life.”

The growth rate of student loan debt compared to that of other types of debt in recent years demonstrates a frightening new reality facing younger generations, whose parents never had to face such a massive crisis. With total student loan debt at $1.52 trillion, a number that has more than doubled in the past decade, or an average of $37,172 per person by the time of graduation, student loans constitute the second largest type of debt in the United States, surpassed only by mortgage loans.

Many are aware of some of the major ways that student loan debt affects our economy. A decline in homeownership is the economy’s natural response to mounting student debt, since potential buyers must now delay purchasing homes to afford their monthly loan payments. These payments have increased from an average of $227 in 2005 to $393 in 2016, according to a report by the Federal Reserve. Delayed home purchases go hand in hand with Millennials postponing marriage or starting a family so that they can manage their debt, demonstrating some of the social costs of excessive debt. Looking further down the line, such debt will force people to retire at a later age: A Nerdwallet study estimated that the graduating class of 2015 will retire at an average age of 75, which means that today’s youth will be working nearly a decade longer than the retirees of today. Considering the average American lifespan of about 78 years, many in our generation may be working until we reach our deathbeds.

Dishearteningly, it appears that the Department of Education (DOE) is among the main culprits behind the student debt crisis. The DOE began to directly finance student loans in 2010 under the Obama administration, quickly becoming the largest bank in the United States in terms of loans. It soon realized the job was too large to handle on its own, and chose to outsource loan collection to agencies such as Navient, CornerStone, FedLoan, and several other major companies. It was at this point that things turned sour—students went from dealing with a loan service that didn’t do much to help them successfully manage their debt, to dealing with agencies that actively work against them.

Navient, the biggest and baddest of these agencies, has been at the forefront of countless scandals concerning its student loan services. Navient handles around $300 billion of federal and private loans for roughly 12 million people, which is about a quarter of all student borrowers. It’s important to understand that Navient itself does not directly loan out money, but instead is responsible for collecting monthly payments on behalf of those who contract their services. The corporation has been accused of intentionally misleading its clients, providing abysmal customer service, and mishandling loan payments.

Minaj’s episode of Patriot Act on the student loan crisis tears Navient’s sketchy methods to shreds. In an excerpt from Fusion’s 2017 documentaryThe Naked Truth: Debt Trap, a former Navient employee explains how she was expected “to provide inadequate service. Performing well meant keeping calls to seven minutes or under.” To accomplish this goal, many customer service representatives simply put borrowers on loan forbearance rather than dedicating the necessary time and resources to create an income-based repayment plan that would fit the needs of each client. In the episode, Minaj aptly compares loan forbearance to the dating-app Tinder: “It’s quick and easy, but over time, you end up regretting it.” Conversely, Minaj likens the income-based repayment plan to the Match Group-owned* dating-app Hinge: “It takes more time to fill out, but it’s reliable.” Loan forbearance temporarily stops payments when borrowers cannot afford to make them, but results in higher interest later. The practice has added a staggering $4 billion to total student debt in interest alone.

Minaj also sits down with Seth Frotman, the former Student Loan Ombudsman at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. He resigned, refusing to work for the CFPB as long as they continue to serve the interests of the country’s most powerful financial companies. “This is a company that ruined millions of people’s lives,” Frotman says of Navient. In the interview, Minaj points out that if you look at the homepage of Navient’s website, you’ll read, “We’re here to help you successfully navigate your student loans,” to which Frotman replies, “What’s remarkable is that Navient, in federal court, argued they actually have no responsibility to help student loan borrowers.” In fact, Navient describes all writing on their website that would indicate any obligation to their customers as “puffery” that carries with it no actual duties.

Corporations like Navient are capitalizing on the fact that students nationwide are not sufficiently informed to realize when they’re being exploited, at least initially. But considering the tactics that these agencies employ to mask their intentions, can you blame them? As Minaj concludes his interview with Frotman, he comments, “To expect the average student who has so many responsibilities and has so many things on their plate to navigate this without proper information—it’s asking a lot.” Sadly, it seems like students will continue to fall victim to these misleading practices. As of now, the best that one can do is be aware of all student loan options that are available, and take action if they believe they have been wronged by lodging a formal complaint to the DOE, the CFPB, your lender, or your servicer.

*a previous version of this article stated that Hinge is a Facebook owned dating app. This is incorrect and the information has been updated. The Hustler regrets this error.

]]>https://vanderbilthustler.com/22702/featured/from-the-capitol-to-campus-how-the-department-of-education-ruined-our-generations-finances/feed/0Lead from the Outside: Abrams speaks to her book, her defeat and her futurehttps://vanderbilthustler.com/22697/featured/lead-from-the-outside-abrams-speaks-to-her-book-her-defeat-and-her-future/
https://vanderbilthustler.com/22697/featured/lead-from-the-outside-abrams-speaks-to-her-book-her-defeat-and-her-future/#respondWed, 20 Mar 2019 19:39:00 +0000https://vanderbilthustler.com/?p=22697In a charming, witty and realistic speech to a packed audience in Langford Auditorium, Stacey Abrams reflected on her campaign, her book and what she calls the darkest day of her life, November 16, when she ended her bid for governor, though did not concede the election.

Chancellor Nicholas Zeppos hosted Abrams in the second Spring installment of the Chancellor’s Lecture Series March 19. Abrams launched into the mainstream last year, when she made history as the first Black woman in America to be nominated for gubernatorial candidacy by a major party. Before, she served 11 years in her state’s lower house, and she is also an author. In addition to her recent book, Lead from the Outside, she has written 6 romance novels under the pseudonym Selena Montgomery.

“Being a storyteller is the beginning of being good at politics,” Abrams said. “People need to know how they fit into what you’re doing.”

One of the cornerstones of Abram’s campaign and her advocacy since entering politics has been voter access and irregularities. When she went to vote in her own gubernatorial election, she was told that she had already voted via absentee ballot. She said that if this was what was happening to her, it was easy to see how voters who didn’t have her political understanding or camera crews following them could be easily disenfranchised.

The election, as a result, was not only unfair, but inaccurate, she said. This idea of voter suppression is a much larger issue than voter fraud; people aren’t trying to vote three times when they are barely voting once, she said.

“It has the psychological effect that you can’t beat the system, that it doesn’t matter,” she said.

(Photo by Claire Barnett)

Her realization of the extent of voter suppression led to a transformation in her mission. Instead of wallowing in her defeat, she decided to translate her anger into action, she said. Since losing her gubernatorial bid, she has started a number of organizations, including Fair Fight Action, which is centered around fighting voter suppression.

“This was larger than me becoming the governor of Georgia,” she said.

Despite her loss, Abrams has become a strong voice in the Democratic Party. Senate Majority leader Chuck Schumer asked Abrams to deliver the Democratic response to the State of the Union address.

Her and Zeppos’ conversation turned to her beliefs and leadership in the bigger picture. She named the three areas of policy most important to her politics: economic security, education and health care.

Abrams wrote her latest book on running for office, while running for office. With a notable sense of realism and candidness, Abrams laid out her strategy when she ran for office, how she reached voters without falling into pandering and how she balanced the practicality of leaning into her base while also getting to know all the citizens she hoped to represent. That truth, she said, is what led to the massive increases in voter turnout that Georgia saw in the 2018 midterm elections. Specifically, she noted the high turnout rates of hispanic and black voters, as well as white democrats.

Abrams also addressed her time in college. As an undergraduate at Spelman, she related to the typical college student experience of feeling unsure about her future. In fact, she attempted to take on 7 majors and minors combined – despite often failing to attend her classes, she said.

“I had to understand the difference between dreams and ambition,” she said. “Dreams are fleeting they come and they go, ambition is something that keeps you awake, that animates you. If you can put it aside and walk away, then it’s not ambition, it’s a dream. Ambition is something that drives you. And you have to think about it, because it’s also usually something that’s not clear.”

(Photo by Claire Barnett)

Eventually, the conversation turned to 2020. Abrams recently met with former Vice President Joe Biden about the potential for 2020. Biden indicated his plans for a presidential run to a number of his supporters March 20. Despite hinting at a presidential campaign herself, Abrams has yet to share her plans for 2020; currently, she is meeting with presidential candidates. She said that she’s willing to speak with anyone, so long as they come to her ready to address what they’re going to do about voter suppression and that they recognize Georgia as a swing state.

Finally, two students were given the chance to ask Abrams questions. In response to a question on the source of her optimism, Abrams responded that optimism isn’t what drives her – rather, instead of trying to fix things, she strives to first make them better. And she says the most important part of trying to make things better is voting.

“If young people had the same recognition of their power– we do a lot through voter suppression and other things to convince you your power isn’t real. That’s a lie,” she said. “You have extraordinary power, and if you harness that power, you can get what you want.”

]]>https://vanderbilthustler.com/22697/featured/lead-from-the-outside-abrams-speaks-to-her-book-her-defeat-and-her-future/feed/0Burton and Shah win VSG president, vice presidenthttps://vanderbilthustler.com/22683/featured/burton-and-shah-win-vsg-president-vice-president/
https://vanderbilthustler.com/22683/featured/burton-and-shah-win-vsg-president-vice-president/#respondWed, 20 Mar 2019 18:19:21 +0000https://vanderbilthustler.com/?p=22683Frances Burton and Veer Shah defeated Nico Gardner-Serna and Taylor Thompson in the VSG election for president and vice president for the 2019-2020 school year. Results were announced March 20 in the Rand Lounge at 12:30 p.m.

Burton and Shah garnered 1,578 votes over Gardner-Serna and Thompson’s 1,186 votes, leading to the former’s victory by about 400 votes. There were 55 write-in votes. 2,918 students voted, compared to 2,559 last year.

Burton and Shah ran on the slogan “Let’s Go” and a platform of five categories. Third-year Burton and second-year Shah both have previously been a part of VSG, with Burton most recently serving as the Director of Campus Outreach.

]]>https://vanderbilthustler.com/22683/featured/burton-and-shah-win-vsg-president-vice-president/feed/0Folk-pop Yoke Lore comes to Nashville’s High Watthttps://vanderbilthustler.com/22672/featured/folk-pop-yoke-lore-comes-to-nashvilles-high-watt/
https://vanderbilthustler.com/22672/featured/folk-pop-yoke-lore-comes-to-nashvilles-high-watt/#respondWed, 20 Mar 2019 15:07:41 +0000https://vanderbilthustler.com/?p=22672“A really run-of-the-mill phrase like ‘I love you’ is a really beautiful thing to say to someone, but these days that phrase is being used in Quicken Loans commercials and that’s bad, guys, that’s real bad. It forces us to think a little more pointedly about what we want to say to people. Instead of saying ‘I love you,’ be more specific. Next time talk about what temperature they make you feel and what they do to the back of your neck. Tell them what color their love is,” says Adrian Galvin, the man behind Yoke Lore, before he launches into his biggest original hit, “Beige.”

Starting in 2016, Yoke Lore was Galvin’s next move after Yellerkin and Walk the Moon. His show this past Sunday, March 17, was at Nashville’s High Watt. The cozy, grungy space was perfect for his percussion heavy, pop-folk aesthetic, delivered to his adoring fans with banjo in hand.

Up there on stage, there were moments Galvin danced around like no one was watching, thrashing his legs and swaying his upper body vehemently back and forth, fully engaged in the music he was creating—seemingly unaware he was on stage performing in a sold-out show.

“I always think the sweatshirt is a good idea,” Galvin said, breathless after one of his impromptu dance numbers. “It’s never a good idea.” He then whips off his bright blue hoodie to the excitement of many woo-ing and whistling girls in the front row.

The crowd is an oversized jean jacket, hippie-headband, thick-black framed eyeglasses bunch. Fans sway to his airy, yet powerful vocals, smiles on their faces when they aren’t mouthing the words.

In addition to “Beige,” Galvin’s set included songs off of Absolute, his 2018 EP, “Concrete,” being a particular highlight, a song mulling over his Brooklyn roots and an intrinsic call to the wild he’s felt his whole life. He also sang his hit cover of Savage Garden’s, “Truly Madly Deeply,” which was featured on pop-icon Taylor Swift’s monthly “Songs Taylor Loves” playlist in March 2018 and was a sugar-sweet break between the otherwise mostly deep, penetrating and often dark songs about love and life and searching for identity.

If you want to catch Yoke Lore live, he is continuing his tour in the United States through March 27, before he heads to Europe. Click here for more information.

Photos by Eliza Johnson

]]>https://vanderbilthustler.com/22672/featured/folk-pop-yoke-lore-comes-to-nashvilles-high-watt/feed/0The Hustler will help record Tiny Desk Contest student submissionshttps://vanderbilthustler.com/22642/featured/the-hustler-will-help-record-tiny-desk-contest-student-submissions/
https://vanderbilthustler.com/22642/featured/the-hustler-will-help-record-tiny-desk-contest-student-submissions/#respondWed, 20 Mar 2019 13:05:25 +0000https://vanderbilthustler.com/?p=22642For the first time, musicians under 21 years of age (but at least 18 years old) can submit to NPR’s annual Tiny Desk Contest. Thus, NPR Music reached out to college newspapers such as the Hustler to promote the contest to newly eligible students.The Vanderbilt Hustler will offer up recording equipment and staff to students looking to submit to NPR’s 2019 Tiny Desk Contest.

Here’s how it’ll work:

Email Dallas Shatel (dallas.a.shatel@vanderbilt.edu) if you would like to participate. We will set up a time and place to record your song (it must be an original song, and you must perform behind a desk of some sort). After you have uploaded your video to YouTube and submitted it to npr.org/tinydeskcontest, we will feature your concert in an article. At the end of the submission period, we will have readers vote on their favorite.

All videos must submitted to NPR by Sunday, April 14.

The Tiny Desk Concerts began in 2008, and since then they have featured both established and up-and-coming music artists in an intimate concert right at All Songs Considered host Bob Boilen’s desk. Since 2014, NPR has opted to host an annual contest in which unsigned acts can submit an original 1-song performance for a chance to perform a Tiny Desk Concert.

See the official announcement below.

Got a song you want the world to hear? The Tiny Desk Contest wants to hear from you! NPR Music is looking for the next great undiscovered musician to perform at the Tiny Desk and tour the country! That’s right – you could perform at the same desk that has featured artists like Maggie Rogers, Chance the Rapper and Yo-Yo Ma. Find out more at npr.org/tinydeskcontest. You have until Sunday, April 14 — better hurry!

]]>https://vanderbilthustler.com/22642/featured/the-hustler-will-help-record-tiny-desk-contest-student-submissions/feed/0Medical school mentors to be matched with pre-med undergrads in HPAO pilot programhttps://vanderbilthustler.com/22666/featured/medical-school-mentors-to-be-matched-with-pre-med-undergrads-in-hpao-pilot-program/
https://vanderbilthustler.com/22666/featured/medical-school-mentors-to-be-matched-with-pre-med-undergrads-in-hpao-pilot-program/#respondWed, 20 Mar 2019 03:38:56 +0000https://vanderbilthustler.com/?p=22666Starting this year, the Health Professions Advisory Office (HPAO) is implementing a pilot program co-sponsored by the Residential College system that matches medical school mentors to undergraduates in the process of applying to medical school.

The idea for this initiative came from Vanderbilt alum Aditya Karhade, who is currently pursuing a medical degree from Harvard Medical School and an MBA from Harvard Business School. According to HPAO director Michelle Grundy, Karhade was inspired by the medical school mentoring program that exists within Harvard residential colleges and reached out to see if a similar system could be implemented at Vanderbilt.

This year, 67 Vanderbilt medical students applied to mentor an undergraduate student and 25 ultimately received the position. 49 undergraduates in total will receive a mentor, mostly consisting of juniors in the process of composing their medical school applications. Each mentor will have two students to coach through this process.

Mentors were matched with students based on a variety of factors, according to Grundy. These include state residency, race, gender, and undergraduate major.

According to Grundy, the HPAO was unsure that they would have enough medical students apply to mentor, but ultimately they had more interested mentors than undergrads.

“Aditya explained how as a first-year medical student you feel like the only knowledge you have is that which you gained by going through the application process,” Grundy said. “Being the type of people who are pursuing a career in helping others, it comes naturally to want to share the information they do have about applying to med school.”

The residential college partnership, which will provide 4 free meals in the cafeterias for mentors, enriches the experience of mentoring for both student and graduate alike, Grundy explained.

“The whole idea behind the residential colleges is that they are more than a place to live, it’s a place to learn and grow as a person” she said. “There are so many places for students to meet and have more meaningful discussions than just sitting in Rand.”

However, Dean of Residential Faculty Vanessa Beasley clarified that the partnership with the residential colleges does not make the program exclusive to the students that live within them.

“Where the student lives does not matter at all,” Beasley said. “Any undergraduate student who is deemed eligible as determined by their application to the HPAO program may participate.”

First-year Sandra Drmanovic is a math major on the pre-med track, and she said she has already seen first-hand how complicated it can be to pave a path for medical school.

“There’s a bunch of things you have to do, like a long list of classes, extracurriculars, shadowing, and research just to name a few,” she said. “It’s hard to know what really benefits your application and what doesn’t so it would be nice to have someone around to help navigate it all.”

Grundy said usually she is the first person undergraduates go to in order to assemble their application materials when they begin applying to medical school, but she looks forward to the new mentors helping the students jumpstart this process so they are better prepared when they finally come speak with her.

Mentors will begin to work with the juniors this semester, where they will have two mandatory spring meetings and then another two meetings in the fall.

In the fall, after students have had the opportunity to form relationships with their mentors, the HPAO will be conducting surveys with both mentors and mentees to break down how the process turned out and what could be improved. This data will determine what the HPAO program will look like in future years, Grundy said.

“Medical school is something so hard to understand, there is no algorithm for what makes a perfect applicant” Grundy said. “My hope is that this pilot program is able to demystify that process as much as possible and can help reduce anxiety for students around it.”